Tag Archives: Glamping

In late August, Team Steamie took an awesome long-weekend trip & stayed in a nest.

We saw was just one picture- of The Nest ages ago and it instantly moved to the top of our “Steamie Travels” to-do list. So off we went – to the Treebones Resort in Big Sur. Treebones is basically fun fancy camping!

The resort has mostly Yurts, but there are traditional camping areas & some novelty spaces- such as the NEST & the tree house. Also the resort features a full restaurant, sushi bar, pool, and most importantly (for this glamper) lovely restroom & shower facilities.

I’ll just say- as a general rule- Camping is better with plumbing.

The weekend began VERY early- we packed up Steve’s truck & left the comfort of the Steamie house before 5am! We cruised quickly at that hour- so it was totally worth it. Thank you to Steve for driving whilst I might have napped… for hours. On the way up- just past Hearst castle (where we have happy memories from out engagement moon) we stopped at the Elephant Seal Rookery. We didn’t see the seals at first, just squirrels. But then we could hear them! Arf Arf! So we followed our ears & there they were! They are huge… and so funny to watch. My favorite thing to see was how they stick up one flipper for a stretch- just hanging out with their arm straight up. We may or may not recreate this move at home….

We kept moving up Highway One. We were in good company with plenty of other cars & load of loaded RVs on the road. Watching them navigate the precarious turns, I was ever so thankful to NOT be in a giant RV! It was awesome to see the terrain gradually changing form rolling hillsides & sandy beaches- to jagged rocks & cliffs. Highway One winds round and round – and put me automatically to sleep. Luckily Steve would wake me up when there were pretty sights to see, or when he needed me to navigate.

We soon passed the Treebones resort- but wanted to save checking in & scoping out the nest till a little later. We cruised further up the coast to see the Bixby Bridge. Completed in 1932, it was one of the final components in connecting California’s 1,100 miles of coast line. We then turned back a bit, stopping (along with all the other tourists) at look out points to take in the view. For some reason staring at how the ocean meets the land never gets old, and each bend in the road revealed new perspective & vantage point.

As we wound our way back through Big Sur- we stopped at the Pfeiffer National Park for a hike. We packed ourselves some sandwiches & switched into shorts and hiked among the redwoods up to Buzzards Roost. It was a short but beautiful hike up- there we perched on the big rocks & enjoyed our lunch & the view. We had a few bird friends & Steve tried to lure them into landing on him… to no avail.

After our hike we followed the One back south a bit – stopping at many little shops & art galleries on the way. Finally working our way back to the entrance to Treebones! We followed the entry road winding up into the hillside. We checked in & took an off-road golf cart over to The Nest! SO COOL!

It was a very cool, very breezy weekend – but even in the semi-gloom it was a beautiful sight. The Nest is hand crafted with branches & has such a homey organic feel to it. (you can buy your own it you want!) It’s situated in between a few trees- so it really feels like part of the tree itself. Inside is a full-sized futon mattress, that we layered with sheets, blankets & sleeping bags until it was oh-so-cozy. For dinner- we picnicked at the table just outside the next with some yummy wine. We snuggled in the next listening to the wind. And I was very thankful for the warm sleeping bag! BRR!

Saturday morning we woke up early, heading into the main lodge for WAFFLES. Now that is camping. After showering we were ready to start the day.

We headed back up the Highway- to take a tour of the Point Sur Lighthouse. The guys leading the tour are very.into.lighthouses. Which only made their stories more interesting. It was so fun to explore the giant rock that the lighthouse is perched on & think about the families living there way back when. After the tour- we figured we were pretty far north already – might as well make the jaunt into Carmel. Such a cute little town! We picnicked again on the beach- admiring the backside of Pebble Beach, and the dolphins playing in the bay. We cruised up & down the shops on the main drag & then headed back towards Big Sur. We stopped a more of the shops & restaurants along the coast- again- more beautiful vantage points!

Just before heading back to the nest- we took one more stop to explore the beautiful Julia Pfeiffer Waterfall. In this protected cove, so you cannot access the beach- instead, there’s just a walkway, from which you get the amazing view & can read a bit about who used to live on that land, and how the big storms & landslides have changed the rock formations.

As it was getting late, we headed back to the nest- cleaned up & then hit up the out door BBQ & concert in front of the lodge. It was really relaxing & entertaining. Just a guy playing his guitar, with the mountains in the background. And the kabobs were really good too! We enjoyed more wine on the bench from the nest & called it another windy night!

Sunday- more waffles & one last chance to cruise the coast on our way home. We made on final stop, just a a bend in the road with some cars pulled over- indicating a hiking spot. We opted for the “short” trail & wound in & out of the trees towards the stream- we got a great view of a waterfall, and wanted to get closer. Steve started scaling a rock, that I knew there was no way I was going to get up… so I took advantage of a metal pole some other happy hiker must have wedged in place- and walked on water to cross the pond & get to the basin of the waterfall… surprisingly meeting Steve on the other side! If it were a warmer day- we would have gone for a dip! It was so pretty & the water was crystal clear. Another day!

With that last gorgeous site in our minds, we headed back home. NOT stopping at the outlet malls… I’ve already learned that lessen.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m not typically a camping girl, but the nest was just the right combination of “nature” & built environment… (did I mention the showers!?)… it was so pretty, and feels so neat to sleep outside hearing the sounds of the ocean & waking up to the calls of the seals. The waffle bar helped too. Mostly- it makes me wish I was more of a camper- since it felt so good, but I know my limits & my love of buildings will primarily keep my overnight travels indoors. We LOVED the nest, and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a little fresh air!